Electric igniter.



F. H. ROYCE.

ELECTRIC IGNITER.

APPLICATION FILED 110V. 18, 1911.

Patented June 25,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES INVENTOR FHRoyce.

WWW.

F. H. ROYCE.

ELECTRIC IGNITER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 1911.

Patented June 25, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES FREDERICK HENRY ROYCE, OF DERBY, ENGLAND.

ELECTRIC IGNITER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1912.

Application filed November 18, 1911. Serial No. 661,018.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK HENRY Royce, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Nightingale Road, Osmaston Road, Derby, in the county of Derby, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Igniters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to that type of high-tension distributer in which the current is distributed to the sparking plugs of the several cylinders in the required order by rotating anelectrode connected to the source of supply of electric current sufficiently near to other electrodesconnected to the sparking plugs to allow the current to pass between said electrodes in the form, of sparks, and it has for its object to provide more efficientand convenient forms of electrodes than at present obtains and to enable said electrodes to be easily and readily adjusted. I attain this end by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings which illustrate-by way of example-a distributor for a six-cylinder engine.

In said drawings :-Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of the distributor, Fig. 2 is a view in sectional side elevation thereof, Figs. 3 and at are broken sectional views on an enlarged scaleshowing one of the electrodes and terminals, and Figs. 5 and 6 are broken viewson an enlarged scaleof the electrodes.

Throughoutthe views similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.

, The ring-shaped body A of the distributer is constructed of suitable non-conducting material and carries six terminals. D to which the leads to the sparking plugsare connected and six electrodes C, said terminals and electrodes being equally spaced around the circumference of the ring. The body portion A, together with the electrodes C, is held stationary in any approved manner. The electrodes each consist of a rod of suitable conducting material the sparking end of which is shaped to form a line or knife edge. The preferred method of making this line or knife edge is to bevel the two opposite sides of the end of the electrode to form a groove in said knife edge and to lay apiece of platinum or--other suit-able wire E into said groove and solder it'therein, working the edges of the groove over the wire in such a manner as to leave a portion of the circumference of the wire bare.

Each of the electrodes 0 is held in position in the ring-shaped body A by a split sleeve F which is recessed into the ring and retained there by a' sleeve nut H which is screwed into the ring and locked thereto by a cap M. A. pin d is carried by the electrode 0 which engages with grooves formed by two of the splits in the sleeve F, said pin and groves being so located in relation to one another and t0 the wire E that said wire lies parallel to the axis of the dis tributer.

Each of the electrodes C is in electrical contact with the sleeve F from which current is carried to its respective terminal D by means-of a spring plunger N mounted in an axially arranged recess d in the base of the terminal and kept in contact with the sleeve F by means of a spiral spring 0. The base of the terminal D is recessed into the ring-shaped body A and attached thereto by means of the two screws 6 z.

The revolving electrode R is carried by a piece P made of suitable non-conducting material and driven at a suitable speed by gearing from the crank-shaft of the engine. The sparking point of the electrode R is of similar shape and is formed in a similar manner to that of the electrodes C, but the knife-edge-shaped point formed by the embedded wire S instead of being straight is curved to an arc of a circle whose center is the axis about which the electrode revolves. The electrode R is secured in the part P by screws 7) p which also serve to make an elec trical connection between the said electrode R and a plate 77 with which the terminal T connected to the secondary winding of the coil contacts. The terminal T is carried by the cover W of the distributor which is of any suitable non-conducting material. Current is carried from the terminal T to the contact plate p by means of a plunger V which is kept in contact with the plate 30 by a spring '22, said plunger bearing in a bush X which is also in contact with said terminal. To prevent the plunger V from being turned on its axis by the rotation of the plate 7) it may be made of a square section and the bush X shaped to correspond. It will be seen that the line sparking point S of the electrode T moves by the rotation of the part P in a path at right angles to the line sparking point E of the electrode C.

which results in the sparking being localized at a point which moves along the circumference of the line sparking point S as the I formed on the sleeve F by the splits are set slightly inward in order to hold the contact pieces firmly'by friction in any position longitudinally to which they may be adjusted. A balance weight Y is provided on the revolving part P at a point diametrically opposite to the electrode R.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is i --1. In an electric igniter, the combination, with a stationary bodyportion, and a revoluble block; of electrodes carried by the said body portion and block and provided with tapering knife-like end portions arranged at a right angle to each other and having grooves in their ends, and sparking wires secured in the said grooves and forming the apices of the said tapering end portions.

2. In high-tension distributers for electric ignition systems for internal combustion engines, the combination of a fixed electrode and a rotating electrode, the sparking points of which have a knife-edge or line formation and said points being relatively arranged so that one lies or moves at right angles to the other, a split sleeve carried by the body of the distributer and adapted to carry the fixed electrode, and means for con tracting said split sleeve to grip said electrode, as set forth.

'3. In high-tension distributers for electric ignition systems for internal combustion engines, the combination of a fixed electrode and a rotating electrode, the sparking points of which have a knife-edge or line formation and said points being relatively arranged so that one lies or moves at ri ht angles to the other, a s lit sleeve carrie by the body of the distri uter and adapted to carry the position relative to the axis of the distributer, as set forth.

4. In high-tension distributers for electric ignition systems for internal combustibn engin'es, the combination of a fixed electrode and a rotatingelectrode the sparking oints of which have a knife-edge or line fiirmation and said points being relatively arranged so that one lies or moves at right angles to the other, a split sleeve carried by the body of the distributer and adapted to carry the fixed electrode, means for contracting said split sleeve to grip said electrode, means for retaining the electrode in its correct position relative to the axis of the distributer, a terminal carried by the body of the distributer, and a spring contact for establishing contact between the said terminal and the split sleeve, as set forth.

5. In high-tension distributers for electric ignition systems for internal combustion engines, the combination of a fixed electrode and a rotating electrode the sparking points of which are formed by a piece of wire and which are relatively arranged so that the sparking pointof the rotating electrode lies or moves at right angles to that of the fixed electrode, a split sleeve carried by the body of the distributer and adapted to carry the fixed electrode, means for contracting said split sleeve to grip said electrode, means for retaining the electrode in its correct position relativeto the axis of the distributer, a terminal carried by the body of the distributer, and a spring contact for establishing electrical contact between said terminal and the split sleeve, as set forth.

'In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK HENRY ROYCE.

Witnesses:

E'rnnL AUBIN, ANNIE I. DEAS. 

